Soon, smart coat that gives weather updates, charges phones

The world's first smart trench coat to charge your cell phone and also provide weather information is being developed in the US.
The coat, dubbed as M, comes with a smartphone app that monitors the weather and advises you if and when you should wear the garment.
To charge a phone, users simply slide their handset into the coat's breast pocket and connect it to the charging dock.
Though having a charging station in your coat sounds uncomfortable, its makers at Motiif, a New York-based company, claim it will remain fairly invisible.
To recharge the coat users will be able to simply hang it on a hanger with its included wireless charging pad.

Motiif founder Rafael Balbi told LaptopMag that though the coat is still in development, it should be ready to launch by February 2014.

Balbi sees the M as the first step to creating a complete smart wardrobe.
"This isn't just a coat with charging and Wi-Fi, it's about the future of clothing...And how clothing will communicate with each other and the end user," Balbi said.
While pricing for the M has not yet been announced, Balbi said it shouldn't cost more than an average trench coat.
Motiif is currently accepting applicants for an alpha tester programme. Participants will get a behind the scenes look at how the coat is made, speak with engineers and attend events where they can try the M on.

Eventually, Motiif will select a handful of alpha testers to wear the coat for one to two weeks at a time, after which they will give the company their impressions of the M based on their experiences.